I knew it ! I knew it! I knew this was going to happen. I hate it when I am right. As I ran towards the sound of Bree screaming everything seemed intangible. Nothing that jabbed, scratched, or pricked me seemed to matter. Alll I could hear was Bree's screaming and the sound of my breathing. Time slowed down again like it had the night I was hit by that car. I felt like I was floating as I jumped over obstecales or ran through them. If Bree was killed during this venture I don't know what I would do. Would I be so mad with grief that I would sink into a deep hole of depression and lay down and die? Would I go completely mad and lose my humanity? I couldn't be sure...but I was determined to not let it happen...
My muscles ached and head throbbed from
where I was savagely smacked with the butt of a gun. The Erasers were
on me so fast I didn't have time pull out a gun of my own. If I had
they would have all been dead...that I would have seen too. I let out
a shrill bird cry and charged at Fox raking my nails across his face.
I dodged one of his fists and clawed furiosly at his abdomen and then
retreated before he could kick me. I was fairing well in this
fight...I think. I just hoped that PC and Roc would hurry up and get
here. I didn't know how long I could hold out.
" To bad I
didn't get a chance to fight you that day. PC didn't put up as much
of a fight as you."
" SHUT UP!" I snarled. I hated
him...and I know that PC did even more than I. " Come and get
me ,big boy!" Fox let out a howl and charged foward. I readied
my nails and darted foward screaming like a banshee...
I recognized another
one of Breeaka's calls. It was the sound she made when she was going
to let a person have it. Stopped only for a moment and looked over my
shoudler.
" ROC ! Hurry up!" I snapped.
" I am
going as fast as I can!"
" Well run faster!" We
ran a few moments longer until we finally reached our destination. I
had stopped again just to observe what was going on . Bree was
crumpled on the ground moaning, her clothes torn and some of her
feathers scattered across the ground. Erasers were howling and
laughing.
" Well that takes care of one," said
Thresher.
" She's still alive ...she's too pretty to kill,"
Fox said licking blood off of his finger tips. " But Rancor says
he doesn't need her...it's a pity." Fox cocked his gun and aimed
it at Bree. This time I moved without hesitation. I yowled and sprang
from my hiding place and slammed my foot into the side of his face.
The gun was knocked off course and unloaded into the belly of a
fellow Eraser. Fox spun around comically and fell to the ground the
gun falling from his hands. Roc sprank from his hiding place too and
tackled an Eraser that had come up behind me while I knelt down
beside Bree. The whole pack was about to come down on us when Fox
weakly held up his hand. I nudged Bree gently and her eyes fluttered
open. She looked me and smiled but didn't say a word.
" Roc
, protect Bree," I said my voice shaking. I approached Fox
clenching and unclenching my fists. Fox was a mess Bree had
defientely given him all she could dish out ...that's my girl. I
kicked Fox in the stomach, "Get up!" I snarled. He coughed
and gagged. I kicked him again, this time harder. " Getup and
fight me!"
Fox chuckled and smiled up at me, " With
pleasure... human!" Fox sprang up from the ground and pinned me
instantly. The Erasers began to bark and howl again. Fox was
incredibly heavy and stinky too. I brought up my feet and kicked in
his maimed abodmen. He howled and rolled off. I got to my feet and
began to circle. Fox slowly got to his feet and began to circle too.
We launched ourselves at each other. Fox grabbed my arms and spun me
around throwing me into the crowd of Erasers . A few caught me while
the others fell on me threating to tear me to pieces. I broke away ,
my clothes torn and fresh wounds on my face and arms. The sky above
us began to grow darker and a fresh rain began to fall. I looked at
Fox, he was pacing with a morbid delight sparkling in his eyes. He
was ready for this fight...he was ready for blood...and the funny
thing is ...so was I...
I began to circle Fox again trying to stay calm ...because the look he was giving me was a bit unsettling. I would need to come at him hard to wipe that smile off his face. I tossed a quick glance over to Bree, she was my friend and I told her that she had my protection; we had been through too much together for me to fail her now. I stopped and waited for Fox to make the first punch. The Erasers were snarling and snapping their jaws they wanted a good fight and were growing impatient. We stared each other down for a moment or two. Fox then without warning charged toward Roc. I ran and leaped onto Fox's back and sunk my teeth into Fox's neck, drawing blood. Fox yelped and grabbed me by the hair and threw me onto the ground. He proceeded to try and crush me under his foot but I rolled away and got to my knees only to get smacked in the jaw. Fox tried another stomping attack which made contact and knocked the wind out of me. I didn't want to experience that again, so I rolled away once more and got to my feet which was not easy since the rain was turning to the dirt into mud. Next we began to throw punches and kicks. The crowd of Erasers whooped and hollered but I could tell they wanted something more. I kicked mud into Fox's face and whacked him across the face with my foot. He stumbled around trying to get the mud out of his eyes. I took advantage of his disability and scratched, bit, punched, and kicked him with all I had. Fox finally became wobbly and fell to his knees. It seemed impossible at first but now I thought I might actually win. BANG!...
I let out a tortured
cry that sounded neither human nor animal as a bullet tore through my
shoulder. I turned to face, Thresher who had shot me. I charged at
him enraged making the same haunting cry when he shot me again, this
time in the side. Overwhelmed by the pain, I crashed into the mud. I
was still alive but I didn't know how long this would last. Fox had
finally wiped the mud from his eyes and was now back on his feet,
walking toward me.
"Stay...away," I warned.
Fox
chuckled again and knelt down " You are truly
pathetic...human...You may be easier on the eyes, but you paid a
terrible price for this form...and now...your friends will die here
and you...will be taken back to Lab 7 ...where you will be poked,
prodded, cut up, sewn back together , until the day you die."
Fox rose again and gave me a swift kick in the guts. Thresher tossed
Fox his weapon and he once again approached Roc and Bree. Roc stood
with Bree behind him.
"Don't come any closer," Roc said
his voice shaking slightly.
Fox cocked his gun, "This will
be over quick Greenwing." Roc moved to attack knocking Fox's
weapon aside making it discharge into another Eraser. Fox roared and
knocked Roc down and shot him in the leg. Roc cried out and curled
into a tight ball on the ground clutching his leg. "I'll save you
for last," Fox said and then aimed at Bree.
"NOOOOOO!
DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" I shouted struggling to get to my
knees. My bones started to crack and rearrange. The pain was horrible
compounded, by the two gunshot wounds I had sustained. Fox didn't
seem to know what I was doing. Blood poured from my mouth, eyelids
and under my nails. Muscles moved under my skin and my teeth became
sharper. Finally the pain subsided and I was now an animal once more.
My fur bristled and my claws buried themselves deep into the mud. I
growled and hissed swishing my tail. " If you...hurt them
anymore than you already have...I'll tear you apart"
"Is
that so? Well then come and get me then!" Fox smiled. I roared
loudly and charged forward on all fours...
Now you are probably
thinking...how the HECK! was I able to survive a transformation with
two gun shot wounds? After all I couldn't even stay conscious through
the first one in the shower. Well...let's just say I was running on
pure adrenaline and a whole bunch of anger. ...
When I crashed
into Fox it wasn't like hitting a padded brick wall, it was more like
hitting a pillow with a few bricks in the stuffing. My former
strength had returned and I was able to cause more damage than I had
before. Fox and I rolled around on the ground in a frenzy of mud,
blood and fur. My mind was in a frenzy. It was difficult keeping my
animal side from taking over...at this point I was starting not to
care if I killed Fox or not. All I wanted was to keep the others
safe, avenge our family and to get Roc to Gozbud. If it did mean I
had to tear through Fox... I would do it. The thought spooked me as I
was madly clawing at Fox and then I stopped myself. Fox was pinned
under me and I was butchering him. He was a bloody mess covered in
loose fur and mud. The sight of him made me sick I gave him one more
blow and recoiled. What was the matter?...I didn't know myself...all
I knew was that I was trembling. I sat on the ground staring stupidly
at Fox. The Erasers were being worked into frenzy things could get
out of hand. Fox looked defeated enough to me, he laid their limp on
the ground, sides heaving. The morbid happiness he had in his eyes
was gone. I couldn't tell what he was thinking…nor did I care. I
crawled still trembling, away from him and over to Roc and Bree...
How could this happen? I am more powerful than he is. My strength tore him nearly limb from limb once. I can't fail this mission... I have almost lived as long as Ari until he was killed by Max... The same will not happen to me...But I don't have the strength to do it...But they...they do...yesss...
"Are you alright Roc?" I asked
still approaching slowly.
"Fine enough," he replied, with one
of his wings outstretched to shield Bree from the rain.
"Good."
I looked at the Erasers that surrounded us they were still snarling
and snapping awaiting Fox's command. For some reason I had become
nervous again and froze only a few feet away.
"What's wrong?"
Roc asked.
"HAVE AT THEM BOYS!" Fox roared. The Erasers
howled and advanced on me and Roc. I dove at them still relying on my
cocktail of adrenaline and rage. But it didn't last. Roc and I fought
the best we could...but needless to say we were getting trashed. The
Erasers got me on the ground and started to play soccer with
me...which thanks to that I will never play the sport. I broke a few
of their legs only to get socked in the jaw and my ankle bitten and
then snapped. I locked for Roc among the mayhem and he surprised me.
He was doing quite well for someone who had been shot in the leg. I
collapsed on the ground... I was done. But still the Erasers found
pleasure in tearing at me with their claws some more. I would have
been puree if it weren't for what happened next. A tree trunk came
flying out of no where and smashed into the Erasers attacking me.
Suddenly I could hear more and more Erasers were being crushed by
enormous projectiles. Then I heard a thunderous roar, one that I
recognized. Everything was going dark, I was loosing a lot of blood.
But I was fighting to stay conscious. I got a glimpse of one of my
greatest allies...Gozbud...
You know...you should
never take your friends for granted,because one of these days they
might just be the one that can save your sorry butt in a time of
crisis...Gozbud, I was happy to see the old reptile, although I think
I would have preferred a time when I was in less pain. With his
arrival I felt a little bit of energy return to my limbs and I hurled
myself at an eraser. Soon the fight began to escelate. Gozbud is just
what we needed and for a moment I felt that things were going to turn
out alright. The ground was littered with eraser carcasses it was
hard to believe that Roc and I had taken out so many. Then I heard a
hoarse howl, which was the answer to our prayers. The remaining
members of the squad were backing off. I was beginning to relax. As
soon as they were gone I could collapse and curl up into a ball of
agony. Roc looked relieved too and Gozbud roared and slapped his tail
on the ground. The rain was now beginning to fade as well as if it
had been tied to the events that had taken place. I saw two Erasers
help Fox off the ground and I must admit I was happy watching him
limp away...he got what he deserved and I was glad that I was the one
to give it to him. Ohhhh if you only the knew the irony. But I should
know that erasers never appear and take nothing with them. It all
happened in a split second. Fox whirled around and darted towards
Bree, pushing passed Roc like he was nothing. I roared angrily as Fox
held Bree in his mangled hands with that strange satisfaction in his
eye. Rage boiled in my veins and I lunged foward to break into a run
but fell on my face. My body had ,had it...it told me that not matter
how strong my will it wasn't going to work for me. Snarling I crawled
toward Fox and grabbed him by the ankle. He effortlessly shook me off
and kicked me in the face. Gozbud began to advance on Fox but he
quickly retreated, knowing that even though he was powerful , Gozbud
was not fast enough to catch him.
"BREEEEE!" I shouted.
"GIVE HER BACK!" I struggled to get up. Roc limped over and
held me back.
"Stop it PC! Your going to bleed to death!"
Gozbud exclaimed. He was right. I was struggling in a froth of mud
and my own blood. I roared. I roared for so long it seemed like an
eternity. Then when I couldn't roar anymore ...I cried and then I
finally blacked out...
Life and death situations really shake you up. You discover the strength you thought you never had and side of yourself that scares you. I'm sure everyone feels that way. If not than I am pretty narrow minded aren't I...
I stared up at Gozbud. He was huge! The biggest intelligent
thing I had ever seen on two legs. He had two hard muscled, oversized
arms, with webbing between his fingers. Gozbud had an alligator's
head only his eyes were not on the sides of his head, but forward
facing like a human. He had large webbed feet with a large claw
poking out of each toe. Gozbud's most intimidating feature besides
his size and sharp teeth was his tail. It was long and was looked
extremely powerful.
He looked down at me with grim emerald
colored eyes. "You must Roc, I presume?"
"Yeah," I
said feeling a little dizzy. I was slightly afraid of Gozbud but at
the same time I felt perfectly safe.
"Don't be afraid I'm not
going to eat you." he said kneeling down. " Let me take a
look at your leg." He examined it with an expert eye.
"Are
you a doctor ?" I asked.
Gozbud snorted "I'm an intern
...or was anyway. Come on. My shelter isn't to far from here I need
to get you both patched up." With out warning Gozbud picked me
up and held me under one arm while carrying PC under the other. What
Gozbud said was true; his shelter wasn't too far away. It was an
underground one like Bree's but it was bigger and area around it
didn't smell like raw sewage…..
Once we were inside
Gozbud place me down on the ground and quickly bandaged my wounded
leg.
"I'll be back to treat you. But PC needs more attention
than you do. You understand."
I nodded and watched Gozbud
disappear into a large room with PC in tow. He was in there a long
time and I was beginning to worry not only about PC but myself...I
wasn't feeling to hot and I cursed my inability to completely
regenerate. Then finally the door open. Gozbud came out with a bloody
apron on and some severely over stretched latex gloves.
"Is he
going to be okay?" I asked.
"I don't know." he said
sitting down in a chair. "Only time will tell. Come over here. I
can take care of you now." As Gozbud tended to my wounds I found
it hard to believe that he wasn't a real doctor, he had all the
makings of one. In my opinion. I always wondered how was able to work
with such large hands and it turned out that he worked using his
claws, not fingers. A couple of days went by and I had persuaded
Gozbud to let me outside in the sun, which helped me heal. As I sat
outside in the sun it seemed like our clash with Fox never happened.
But then I remembered Bree being taken away and how PC looked when he
couldn't go after her. I shuttered at the thought and went back
inside the shelter. I found Gozbud sitting in a chair beside PC with
a heavy book in his lap.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Reading," Gozbud said. I sat down and looked over at
PC, who had an IV in his arm and a blood bag on the other end.
"There is such a thing as a mutant blood transfusion?"
I said.
Gozbud smiled " We all assumed that one of these
days we would meet an eraser and get the snot kicked out of us. If
anyone got the crap kicked out of them the most it was PC."
"He
looks like somebody came at him with a chainsaw," I commented.
"might as well...with all those scars he has."
"What
happened to him?" I asked, knowing I was sticking my nose where
it didn't belong ,but I was curious.
"That is a long
story...and I don't really think you would want to hear it."
"
I think you should tell me...because I don't think he will ."
Gozbud smiled. " You're right he won't. Very well."...
I got comfortable in
the chair I sat in. I could tell this was probably going to be long.
"Now, Roc did you know parents?"
"No...I spent
most of my life in Lab 7 and I don't remember anything before that."
"PC, knew his parents and they were the ones that sent him to
Lab 7." Like I told Gozbud I had never known my parents, but one
thing was for sure, me and many of the other mutants wanted to have
them. Parents to us were like angels...the good people you could go
to and that they could protect you from anything and do no wrong.
"Why?"
"No one knows. Not even PC knows...its a
question to this day that goes unanswered and when he was first
brought to Lab 7. That question nearly drove him mad."
"Did
you all live together in the same room?" I asked.
"Yes, we
spent a lot of time together, so our group became very close. PC was
the most enigmatic of the group. He never talked about what the
Whitecoats were doing to him nor did he EVER talk about his life
before Lab 7. When he was first brought there, PC would be gone for
days at a time; we would often hear him screaming for hours at a time
too. But when we asked about what happened PC never said a word. We
all had a guess at what caused him so much pain. PC's transformation
into what he is now didn't occur over night. The change was gradual
and I can imagine it was painful. It was difficult for us listen to
and to watch as a normal teenager slowly became the creature he is
now."
"I can only imagine,
I guess." I said." We eventually got to know more about PC
after his transformation. But still of all of us , Breeaka was the
one that PC seemed open up to more."
"I see. How did you all
escape from Lab 7? Everyone talks about it. You guys are famous for
that besides Maximum Ride, who escaped from the School." I said.
"It was tricky. PC, Bree, and Fox were the main masterminds
behind that whole operation."
"Fox? You mean that
psychotic eraser?" Gozbud nodded his head "That's right. At
the time, Fox and PC were what you would call friends. He gave us
valuable information about the facility since he could roam around
more freely than we could. Everything was going according to plan
until the day we were going to escape. Information had leaked about
our plan and we almost didn't make it. But thankfully we learned to
think on our feet and everyone made it except for PC or Fox.
Now
as you know, when you try to escape and fail you get a few slaps on
the wrist and get tossed back into a cage. But the Whitecoats were
not as merciful towards PC or Fox. Fox was a lab employee at the
time, but he was turned into an eraser as a punishment for helping us
as for PC he was going to be executed.
Meanwhile we had gotten as
far away as we could from Lab 7. Everyone had accepted the fact that,
PC and Fox were gone. But Breeaka she wouldn't have it. She was the
only one with enough courage to return to Lab 7 and get them back.
PC's punishment was to be eaten …by erasers."
"That's
terrible," I said repulsed.
"Terrible, doesn't even
describe it. When Bree returned to us with PC, he looked worse than
he does now. Putting him back together was the most difficult
operation I have ever done—"
"And…that-is the story of my
life…in a nut shell," a voice said. My head shot towards the
direction of the voice. PC sat up in bed and he looked very angry.
" You shouldn't be
up," Gozbud said only half suprised...if there is such a thing
all I know is that I was completely.
" I know I shouldn't
be, because I hurting right now. But I couldn't help hearing your
little conversation echoing in my subconcious," PC replied.
Those red eyes ARE CREEPY!...
" You'll get over it,"
Gozbud said crossing his arms.
PC growled and mimiced Gozbud by
crossing his arms." You'll get over it."
" Stop
it," Gozbud warned.
" Stop it," PC replied in the
same tone.
" PC I'm warning you."
" PC I'm
warning you."
Gozbud slapped his tail on the ground "
You're acting like a-a"
" a-a-a WHAT!" PC snapped.
" You're acting like a child! Playing copy cat!"
"
HA! If it were any other day, Gozbud, I would kick your butt. "
" What's stopping you ?"
" Do I need to answer
that?"
" No."
" Good. Roc."
"
Yeah?"
" Can you excuse us for a few minutes?"
"
Sure I guess."
" Don't Guess. MOVE!" PC growled. I
knew better than to argue. So I slowly back away and left the room
and closed the door behind me.
